If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s only a matter of time before early engineering samples see the light of day. According to a recent Ebay listing, a Steam Deck prototype is now out in the wild having sold for a lofty $2,000, and we seemingly know what’s under the hood.
Not intended for resale according to the sticker on the back, Storm City Retro let the 256GB Engineering Sample No. 34 go under its $2,999 asking price on April 8 – perhaps owing to lack of interest or that broken right analogue stick. Given the proximity of the Washington-based video specialist to Valve’s Bellevue HQ, it’s easy to imagine how the retailer came by such a rare instrument.
Although the photographs aren’t an exact match for Valve’s officially revealed prototypes with its blue face buttons and D-pad in the top-left, it’s not the first time we’ve seen this particular model. Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais took us through Steam Deck’s history during a 2022 Asia press event, hinting that this design appeared roughly halfway through development.
The good news for whoever bought the Ebay listing is that these are working prototypes, providing time has been kind over the past three years. Griffais showcased this exact variant running Half-Life 2 a few years back. Of course, it might be best sitting on a shelf for bragging rights rather than put into practice.
The best part is that they (mostly) all still boot, serving as an exciting reminder of how far things have come since.
This one has a Picasso APU, at about half of the GPU power of the final Deck. The flatter ergo was an interesting experiment and taught us a ton about comfort. pic.twitter.com/yLwTtDDYlo
— Pierre-Loup Griffais (@Plagman2) September 12, 2022
Since this one packs an AMD Picasso APU, it’s roughly “half of the GPU power of the final Deck.” Resting on its value, even the retail version struggles with the latest games, putting this engineering sample at a major disadvantage. No wonder Griffais sticks with a 20-year-old game in his highlight.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but there’s no doubt the circular trackpads and thinner handles give it a distinctly premium aesthetic compared to the bulk of the final design. There’s method behind the madness, however, as “the flatter ergo was an interesting experiment and taught us a ton about comfort.” Ultimately, you don’t want your hands giving out before the battery does.
Valve has remained silent on the purchase thus far, but I’d like to believe that’s because it’s head is firmly buried in next-generation hardware. The bar is set high for Steam Deck 2 even with a lengthy wait until it materialises, not in the least because Nintendo Switch 2 is on the way. For now, I’ll happily stick with my Steam Deck OLED.
